Top 25 Women in Dentistry: Vickie Waitsman VP & General Counsel for DentalEZ Group

Dental Products Report, Dental Products Report-2012-09-01, Issue 9

Vickie Waitsman is the Vice President and General Counsel to the companies in the DentalEZ Group. Waitsman endured many trials throughout her career, both literal and figurative, but through it all she has maintained what she thinks is most important: her sense of self. “You always have to remember who you are, what’s important to you, and to stay true to yourself,” she said.

Vickie Waitsman is the Vice President and General Counsel to the companies in the DentalEZ Group. Waitsman endured many trials throughout her career, both literal and figurative, but through it all she has maintained what she thinks is most important: her sense of self.

“You always have to remember who you are, what’s important to you, and to stay true to yourself,” she said.

She got where she is by talking to people, whether it be someone in a booth or in the line at the grocery store. She attributes her success to her ability to communicate, but even more than that, she attributes it to her ability to build connections and relationships with others. But her major skill also can be her biggest struggle at times because communication is not always received and returned successfully.

Waitsman finds the work she does very rewarding, and said she would never have reached where she is today if it weren’t for the work she’s done for nonprofit organizations. Getting involved with these organizations started when a mentor opened her eyes to how her skill set and expertise could be used and in what capacity she could play an important role in helping those in need.

“As an attorney you think about things differently from other people, and that has a lot of qualities that are helpful for all kinds of situations,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t have done the things I’ve done if I hadn’t been told, don’t be afraid, you have a lot to offer.”

As a woman, Waitsman feels many females undersell themselves and their skills because they’re afraid to step outside of their comfort zone.

“We are our own worst enemies sometimes because we think of ourselves in one way when we could actually go across the board,” she said.

The best part of her job is the people she gets to meet and work with, from family-run companies to big businesses, every person has something to share with her and she’s always happy to lend an ear and learn what they have to teach.

Waitsman’s job changes every day, so when it comes to the future she said sometimes it gets a little cloudy. But she can say she loves the variety she gets to enjoy in her career and she hopes that in the future, that diversity is still a factor.